


Ruined

by LightBruja



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Dancing, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Guns, Los Angeles, Maybe somewhat canon?, Medical Jargon, Mild Gore, Overwatch Comic, Paris - Freeform, Secret Identity, Secrets, Slow Burn, Violence, monaco, reflections
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2019-10-10 04:57:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17419508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightBruja/pseuds/LightBruja
Summary: Maria had learned to move on since Gabriel's death. But now more than ever, little things keep popping up that remind her of him.What will happen when she discovers he's not gone but not exactly the man he was before?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Inspiration drawn from "Bastet" by Michael Chu and the "Reflections" Overwatch ComicUpdate every Monday.





	1. Chapter 1

Maria was thankful she was able to get the day off. Though she can’t say she was surprised. For the past few years she had been given the two days of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to be with her family.

 

Her family.

 

Looking at her son, Antonio, he was happily looking at all of the displays in the store windows despite the rain. She knew that he would more than likely end up with a cold, but she couldn’t deny that it would be worth it. Next to him was Luis.

 

A red and white trucker hat hid a floppy mass of hair that she chastised him over whenever it got too long. He was due for a haircut two weeks ago - and he knew that. But she learned to love the longer locks of hair. Especially since it was different than what she had gotten used to.

 

“Maria? What’s your vote?” The woman was knocked out of her senses, looking at the two males in front of her. Looking down at her son, she couldn’t deny the resemblance to his father. It wasn’t present at first, but it was slowly creeping up as he got older and his childhood roundness started to edge out. Was she allowing him to keep his hair on the longer side on purpose?

 

“I’m sorry, dear. What were the choices again?” She smiled sadly at the two. It was the time of year. She required patience from her loved ones and she was lucky that they gave it to her.

 

“Mexican or Italian?” Maria didn’t even have to ask who picked what. Her son didn’t eat Mexican food too often, so it was always a treat for him. And Luis knew that she wasn’t a fan of most Mexican restaurants. It wasn’t so much the taste - it was more the memories they brought up. The garlic and onion she could handle. But the Mexican oregano and cumin brought her to places she tried to forget.

 

But it was her son. He loved the food. It’s not like she was surprised - it was in his DNA. “Well, since it’s the holidays...we’ll do Mexican.” Antonio cheered in excitement. Both Maria and Luis laughed at his enthusiasm.

 

“That reminds me…” Luis reached behind his back, appearing to pull something from underneath his waistband. “Now, close your eyes, buddy.” Antonio followed the instruction without hesitation. Maria’s boyfriend placed a wrapped gift in her son’s hands.

 

“Ok...open your eyes.” Antonio looked down at the gift. His grin widened even further, moving the gift to one hand so he can more easily wrap his arms around Luis.

 

“Thank you so much! Do I open it now?!” Maria shot a look to Luis.

“You know the rules. If you stay up until Midnight, you can. If not - you have to open all gifts in the morning. I’ll be at the house with you so I can see your face.” Luis winked at him.

Maria’s son pouted, but nevertheless he agreed. He didn’t want to instill the wrath of his mother after all. He then turned, walking off happily with the present in hand. It was as if the rain had no effect on bringing down his mood.

 

Luis moved closer to Maria, wrapping an arm across her shoulders as they walked behind her son. She tilted the umbrella slightly so he wouldn’t get soaked by the current shower of rain. Looking up at him, she gave him a soft smile.

 

She knew Luis knew what this time of year was like for her. Even though the two had only been officially dating for the last two years, he had been a part of her life since they were teenagers. That’s what happens when your late husband stayed close with people from his past. Luis was his best friend growing up.

 

Maria thought back to those days.

 

~~~

 

Things were simple. She was a bookworm with plenty of friends in the drama department. Luis was an athlete playing both football and track.

 

And then there was her late husband. She had seen him around the school plenty of times before. She had never approached him because he seemed so out of her element. He was an avid soccer and football player when she couldn’t even play Fussball.

 

But after working together on a play for the drama department - she wrote the screenplay while he helped with costuming - they were inseparable. They quickly became friends.

 

She stills remembers the night when he kissed her. They had decided to go as a group to Homecoming. None of them were in relationships and they didn’t want to get in one just to have a date. Nevertheless, he insisted on knowing what her dress color would be so they could coordinate. Maria remembers blowing it off just thinking he didn’t want to clash since they would more than likely be around each other the whole night.

 

She remembered being shocked when he arrived at her door - corsage box in hand. After a few embarrassing pictures at the insistence of her parents the two left and met up with their friends.

 

The night was fun. She remembered eating decently catered food, dancing to songs that were current and even older than her. But more than anything, Maria remembered the last song. During that last song her late husband had requested a dance.

 

And after that dance, when he took her home and walked her to her doorstep…

 

Gabriel Reyes kissed Maria James.

 

And they were together ever since.

 

~~~

They were together.

 

They were together until he left for Switzerland and never came back.

 

They were together until Gabe left her a single mother in mourning.

 

But that was six years ago. Antonio was eight now, and he had Luis as someone to look up to.

 

Maria needed to forget the past. With all its happiness...it was painful. Whenever they came up, she would answer questions Antonio had about his father. And as soon as the boy was fast asleep she would make her way to her own bedroom, letting tears fall that she didn’t let fall earlier. Certain scents would make her remember things she thought she had long forgotten. Her Edgar Allan Poe anthology stayed dusty on the bookshelf - the mutual passion they shared for the author now brought her nothing but heartache.

 

But Maria knew that forgetting the past was impossible - especially when she shared it with Gabe. But what she didn’t know was that the past could sneak up in even more ways than she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriel shrouded himself in the shadows of the alleyway. Los Angeles had changed since he was last here. Streets he should have recognized were now shells of their former selves - similar to his current situation.

 

Sombra had told him Maria was doing well. That his son was starting to look like the man he used to be. That she was with Luis. He would prefer him over a stranger. Gabriel was sure that the man helped pick up the broken pieces his actions left behind.

 

But when he saw them together on that street? He was filled with emotions he didn’t even feel when he saw Jack and Ana in Egypt.

 

Rage. Sorrow. Jealousy.

 

He wanted to jump out of the shadows, separate Luis from his wife and claim her once again as his own. But he knew he couldn’t. Gabriel knew that he was no longer Gabriel Reyes - soldier, husband, and father. He knew he couldn’t come back into her life. She looked virtually the same as she did six years ago. There was only a few more gray hairs hidden among the brunette locks, and some faint but soft lines around her eyes.  

 

And she looked happy. Antonio - God, Antonio looked so much like him as a child. And he was happy.

 

He didn’t want to destroy that happiness with what he had become. So there he stood. Water barely even registered on his cloak as he stared at the family. That’s what they were, weren’t they? A family. Luis had even known Antonio longer than he had. His best friend knew his own flesh and blood better than he did. The thought made those feelings from before skyrocket. The monster that he was wanted to do something about it.

 

Gabriel pressed his metal talons into his flesh, a way to bring him back to reality. They were leaving to head somewhere. Probably dinner. Should he follow? Or should he just stay as a phantom?

 

He hated this. Hated seeing her with someone else. Even if he wasn’t wanted by every government agency in the world...he couldn’t show her his face. Not just because of the pain he put her through...but the way that Ana reacted to him confirmed it all.

 

He was ruined. And there was no reason for Maria to take him back.

 

But he couldn’t fool himself. He needed to do something. And it was probably something he would regret.


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner was uneventful. Antonio was thrilled with eating Mexican. Luis was happy to be with the mother and son for the holiday. And Maria?

 

She was trying everything in her power not to think about Gabe. She could picture the look on his face and the sharp criticisms of the food. Something along the lines of “Too much chili pepper.” or “Not enough salt.” She purposely chose a dish that Gabriel had never made for her - a quesadilla.

 

Their waitress came back to their table, Maria had assumed to deliver the check. “Your meal has been taken care of. They said to tell you ‘Merry Christmas’.” With that, she walked away to one of her other tables, putting down a black folder.

 

Maria and Luis looked at each other while Antonio was oblivious to it all. He was too busy finishing the maze on the back of the children’s menu.

 

“Well that was awfully nice of somebody. I wonder if it was the manager?” All Maria could do was shrug. She had no idea why it would have happened, but she was thankful nonetheless. She slid down her side of the booth, approaching the waitress when she was at the POS.

 

“Hi. Is there any chance I could leave a note to tell the person thank you?” She smiled and pointed to the door.

 

“He left just around a minute ago. You could probably catch up to him.” Maria barely heard the last part. She was already racing out the door. She assumed Luis could figure out what she was doing.

 

The sidewalk was practically empty. Everyone inside enjoying dinner and family. But she saw a figure in the distance. One cloaked in a black trench coat. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed them in the restaurant.

 

“Sir?! Wait a moment please!” Maria jogged, trying to keep up with what she assumed to be man based on the person’s size. She could see him stop for a moment as if deciding what to do before he picked up his pace.

 

“Hey - wait a minute!” The woman raced after him - his pace seemingly effortless but easily outpacing her. He rounded a corner into an alley. She knew that alley - it was next to a bookstore she frequented. It had a dead end.

 

By the time she reached it she was out of breath and her clothing was wet with rain. Looking into the alley...the man wasn’t there.

 

“That’s...impossible though.” She shook her head, as if she was hallucinating. Peering once again into the alley, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. In her rush she had forgotten her coat at the table. The orange dress she wore was barely enough protection from the chill in the air.

 

“I guess I’ll never be able to thank him.” And like that, she walked out of the alley and headed back to the restaurant.

 

If Maria had looked up, she could have seen the figure staring down at her like he was a gargoyle perched on the side of a cathedral. She would have seen the _revenant_ of her former lover.

 

But she didn’t. So he didn’t have to worry. Gabriel knew that is Maria had looked up and seen him he would have told her everything. He would have jumped down and entrapped her in his arms like he hadn’t done in over six years. He would have revealed that he survived and that despite barely even appearing as his old self, he still loved her with every fiber of his being.

 

And he loved his son. He didn’t even have to know him well enough to love him. The last time he saw him he was in diapers. And now? He picked up his father’s habit of eating things separately. Not wanting the foods to touch. And honestly? Gabe wasn’t ashamed about watching them eat their dinner.

Though...he was partly ashamed at the feeling of wanting to destroy his previous best friend for any touch he gave to Maria.

 

But that was over. He never had to see them again. The job he had to do in L.A. was over and he could return to a different Talon base - as far away as possible from his family.

 

It hurt too damned much. And he had forgotten what real pain had felt like.

 

With that, the man shifted into his wraith form, traversing the rooftops among the shadows and further away from his previous life.


	4. Chapter 4

“Reports say that the mysterious entity known as The Reaper was spotted at the site right before the explosion. Police are investigating any leads and the FBI will be providing a statement later tonight.”

 

The television played in the background of the small cafe. It was Maria’s dream to open up a place that fellow bibliophiles could come in and relax, and grab some coffee, or tea. Her and Gabe had worked on the concept together - he made enough for her not to work while he was with Blackwatch but she was getting restless.

 

“Quoth” was a hit from the start. And Maria was able to hire help to make sure she could take care of Antonio. But now that he was older, she was able to give staff more of a break. And being with Luis made things easier. He turned out to be one hell of a babysitter.

 

It was the day after Christmas, so business was still a bit slow. Maria fidgeted with the necklace she wore. It was a gift from Luis (with Antonio’s help of course). A simple pendant with a raven as a charm. It was like she was too easy to shop for.

 

Glancing at the clock, she realized it was about time to close up. Closing out the register and turning off the lights, she gathered her belongings and walked out the door. Turning back to lock it, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

 

It was a man. He was leaned against the wall and grasping his shoulder. She couldn’t tell much else beside a guess at his height and weight. His face was shrouded.

 

The gun in Maria’s bag felt like a dumbbell. Luis insisted that she carried one ever since Gabe was gone. The pistol her father left for her after his death was the perfect opportunity. She reached one hand into her purse, wrapping it around the hilt of the gun before walking closer to the figure.

 

“Sir? Are you ok?” Her voice was stern, but wavered near the end as she stood. The air felt stiller in the alley. As if even the atmosphere knew something was wrong.

“Fine. Leave.”

 

The voice was rough. Graveled and sprinkled with pain. He didn’t sound “Fine” to her. And Maria’s thoughts were confirmed when the man let out a hiss as he tried to move.

 

Maria rolled her eyes, taking her hand out of her purse and walking toward the man. “You’re not fine. You’re hurt. Let me call an ambulance.” She was within five feet of him now. She barely caught the stark white of his face before noticing the rest of his attire.

 

Shrouded in black. Tactical equipment and armor. Clawed gloves.

 

Maria stopped in place. She was petrified. She couldn’t move. And when the man turned his face to her, her fear was confirmed.

 

It was The Reaper.

 

The man moved off the wall, moving closer to her. Despite whatever pain he was in, he was still strong enough to be intimidating (as if the garb he wore wasn’t intimidating enough). He dwarfed her easily, and she couldn’t move.

 

She knew this was LA, but she hadn’t expected to be face to mask with International Enemy No. 1 next to her cafe. What would Gabriel be telling her to do right now? What could she do right now? Her brain was short circuiting trying to figure out the best answer. She hadn’t even noticed The Reaper now inches in front of her. And when she did?

 

It was because he pushed her against the wall. Her own gasp of surprise was drowned out by his groan in pain. His body partially lit from a streetlamp, she could see red seeping down his side from presumably his shoulder. Blue lights flashed by as he held her against the wall. He wasn’t close enough for Maria to feel his body against hers. But he was using one arm with his hand on the wall to block any attempt to escape.

 

She could hear his labored breathing behind the mask. She could see the slight tremble in his arm. She was brought back to a discussion she had many years ago.

 

~~~

 

“You really gave that guy ten dollars?” Gabriel was looking at Maria incredulously. A brand new engagement ring was still foreign on her finger and she twirled it as they walked.

 

“Of course I did. He had a DOG, Gabe. Any food he gets will probably go to the dog too.”

 

“If he buys food with it.” Maria rolled her eyes, pushing her fiance playfully. He chuckled before draping his arm over her shoulders.

 

“I hope he does. But that’s something I’ve always liked about you. You try to find the good in people. That’s part of the reason why I gave you that.” His eyes were directed to the ring. It was simple - a solitaire on top of a silver band. It was traditional and Maria loved everything about it.

 

~~~

Maria looked up at The Reaper. Despite his reputation and his sinister appearance she knew what she had to do.

 

“Let me help you.”


	5. Chapter 5

Helping an internationally-wanted terrorist just about 100 feet to the cafe was harder than Maria would have thought. Not only was it stressful to go those steps forward, watching to make sure that no one saw them. But he was also quite heavy. Sure he was helping a bit, but she wasn’t the strongest woman in the world. 

 

She was grateful that she hadn’t locked up yet. That would have been a disaster. The woman currently had both arms around the man in a sort of weird, sideways bear hug. To an unsuspecting witness it would look like she was carrying a drunk man to sleep it off. Kicking her leg up, she turned the handle and pushed her way forward. 

 

The door shut behind the two of them, and the cafe was quiet and dark. She brought The Reaper to a chaise (a purchase she was fond of) and Maria helped him lay down. He groaned as his back hit the furniture, moving his body so he laid on the shoulder that wasn’t hurt. 

 

Unfortunately for her, it meant that he was facing toward her. She didn’t  _ need  _ to see that he was watching her every move. She could feel it. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She felt as if her whole body was covered in goosebumps. 

 

“I...have a first aid kit in the back. Do you think you can take off your…” she gestured toward his cloak and top-half of his body. The mask was static but for some reason she thought the terrorist was looking at her like she was some sort of idiot. 

 

“No. Right. Ok. I’ll be right back.” She practically mumbled to the man as she walked toward the bathroom. Again, she could feel his eyes boring into her. In the bathroom, she went to the small cabinet that held supplies like toilet paper, paper towels, and bandages. Though, Maria didn’t think just a bandage would work in this case. She grabbed the first aid kit, a red and white box, and walked out to head toward her... _ customer. _

 

As soon as she placed the kit down on the table next to the chaise, she heard her phone buzzing from the inside of the bag. She held up a finger to The Reaper, signaling that she would back in just a moment before heading to her phone. 

 

Reaching in, she didn’t even look at the name before answering. “Hello?”

 

“Maria? Where are you? You’re usually home by now.” 

 

Maria swore under her breath. It was Luis. She had forgotten he was with Antonio for the day and he was right. She usually  _ would _ be home by now. 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m still at the cafe. Some numbers aren’t adding up right and you know how I get when things don’t look right.” The man chuckled at the other end of the line.

 

“I know that better than most. I’ll stay here until you’re done. It’s Friday night so I have no place to be. I could always come over to help if you need a fresh set of eyes?”

 

“No!” She said that a little too enthusiastically. “I need you to stay with Antonio. I forgot to tell you - one of his classmates came down with the flu so I need to make sure he doesn’t get it.” 

 

“The flu? Sheesh, you should have told me earlier, sweetheart. All right, I’ll make sure he’s ok. Just don’t stay too long - you need rest too.” 

 

She smiled. “I won’t. I promise. Take care.” 

 

“Bye.”

 

She sighed as the phone call ended. She hated lying like that. But how would she explain taking care of a well-known terrorist? Luis could be more judgmental than even Gabriel was at times. She clearly remembers him condemning The Reaper when word first broke out of his presence. 

 

Speaking of, she turned to the terrorist on her chaise and was shocked to find him sitting up. He was facing away from her, and in the light of the cafe she could see the part of his cloak that was torn open thanks to whatever hit it. More than likely a bullet. 

 

She walked to the bar, dragging a stool to where the man sat. Pulling a pair of blue latex gloves from the kit, the first thing she needed to do was check the wound out. 

 

“I assume since there’s no exit wound that it’s still inside of you?” Maria asked rhetorically. The Reaper gave a grunt in affirmation nonetheless. 

 

“Well, if you don’t want to take all of this off I’m going to have to cut a patch out of this expensive looking cloak.” There was a pause. The woman grabbed the scissors but stopped when she heard him speak. 

 

“Just take it off.” 

 

Maria swallowed, turning back toward The Reaper. “Are you sure?” He didn’t answer, so the woman took that as approval. Her hands gently gripped onto the cloak. Even with her gloves she could feel just how heavy and expensive it felt. She would hate to be the tailor of such a piece. She was able to maneuver the cloak down enough to reveal the wound without having to take it off entirely. She didn't want to have to ask the man to remove his talon-adorned glove. 

 

Luckily for her, the lightweight armor The Reaper wore underneath the cloak was so close to his skin that she wouldn’t need to remove it. The entry of the bullet blew out the gap between the padding enough that she could work without any more removal of clothing. 

 

The grayed flesh under the armor and the parts visible on his arm put her on edge. The only time she had seen skin so gray was when people dressed up as the undead for Halloween. Maria shook her head. She needed to focus so this...man could get up out of here and get far away from her. 

 

“Let’s see...how am I going to do this?” She muttered. The Reaper chuckled and she stared at him incredulously.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry? Do I offend you with my lack of medical knowledge? Unlike you, some of us just work as small business owners and the most serious injury that is in here usually revolves around papercuts.” Maria huffed. She could have turned the man in to the police and his response was to chuckle at her? What an ass.

 

Looking at the wound again, she noticed there was a faint, almost purple tone to it. And a bit deeper, she could see the bullet. 

 

“Well, the good news is that it didn’t go too deep. So it’ll be relatively easy to remove. The bad news is...I don’t know why it’s purple and removing it is going to hurt like crazy.” And if she was being honest? The closest she had to doing something like this was removing a splinter from her foot.

 

“Purple because of anti-healing. And don’t worry, I’ve had worse happen to me.” She wanted to ask just what anti-healing was besides the obvious. It sounded like high-grade tech. And she didn’t doubt he had had worse done to him. 

 

“Well...ok…” She looked back and forth from the kit to the wound before she grabbed two alcohol wipes. She unwrapped the first one, wiping the area around the man’s wound. She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t even flinch when the material hit his torn skin. 

 

She grabbed a pair of tweezers from the kit, sterilizing them with the second wipe. Taking a look at the torn flesh again, she could see the bullet. The question was whether she could grab it. Thinking about it’s size, she would probably have to push it out. 

 

Maria took a deep breath, placing one hand on the edge of his shoulder to stabilize herself. She then reached into The Reaper’s flesh with the tweezers. She heard him suck in a breath from either the pressure or the cold of the metal, but he stayed relatively still. 

 

The woman tried not to focus on the noise or the small stream of blood that began to flow as she pushed further. The bullet was at an angle. All she had to do was push up and it should be easy to take out. 

 

And that’s exactly what she did. She was thankful it wasn’t going to be more complicated than that. With one last move the bullet popped out of the man’s shoulder, hitting the floor. 

 

“I take it you don’t need that?” The woman chuckled, making a mental note to clean it up. She turned to put the tweezers on one of the used alcohol wipes and to grab the suture kit. 

 

“Now this...I have no idea what I’m doing with this. I feel like some badass action hero or…” Maria dropped the kit. 

 

The Reaper was gone. 

 

Standing up quickly she knocked over the medical supplies, racing to the door. There was no blood trail, no footprints, nothing. 

 

She gave a look around the cafe, checking under tables and behind shelves. If anyone were to look in they would probably think she was crazy. And maybe she was?

 

She had just helped one of the world’s most wanted criminals. Why didn’t she turn him in? Why isn’t she calling the cops now? 

 

What she wanted now was just to get home, hug her son, and go to bed. 

 

But she needed to clean up. 

~~~

The Reaper made his way to the Los Angeles base of Talon. He was supposed to report in hours ago. The communicator in his ear was long gone - throw into some debris in some warehouse after the struggle that caused him to get shot. 

 

His shoulder still ached, but with the bullet removed his cells could begin to heal his skin properly. If you could call it healing. And being in wraith form most of the way to the base helped with the pain. Slightly. 

 

Arriving to a nondescript office building, the man stood in front of the door before it was buzzed open. Stepping inside, the facade of a normal building was gone. The interior was decked out in everything Talon, including foot soldiers walking about. 

 

“Sir. You’re requested in Paris. Shall I ready the transport?” A Talon soldier approached The Reaper, and the man didn’t hesitate in answering.

 

“Get us out of Los Angeles.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay! Enjoy this week's chapter!

Things had slowed down immensely after the holidays. Maria found herself with no customers for hours at a time and with that, she had too much time for her mind to wander. 

 

She found herself looking up sightings of The Reaper. He was last seen in some alleyway in Paris. That was the last update she could find anywhere and that was almost a week ago. 

 

But why did she care so much? This only made her look more suspicious. No one knew what happened that night except for her and the terrorist himself. The door opening brought her out of her thoughts.

 

“Welco- Hey guys! I wasn’t expecting you two!” Maria rushed around the counter, immediately approaching Antonio and giving him a tight hug. He laughed as she made fart noises on his skin and he squirmed away from her touch. The boy rushed to a table, emptying out the contents of his backpack on the table and getting to work on some math homework.

 

The woman turned her attention to Luis, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a welcoming kiss. He smiled down at her. “Still slow, huh?”

 

Maria nodded with a sigh, removing herself from his arms to get back behind the bar. He took a seat at the end and she walked over so she was across from him. Her hand rested on the counter and he took hold of them. 

 

“It’ll pick up, Maria. Don’t worry about it. You’ll get a permanent wrinkle with all the scowling you’ve done this past week.” That only caused her to scowl harder and her boyfriend laughed. 

 

“There’s more important things we need to talk about. Good things, but important.” Maria raised her eyebrow, and before he could continue the door opened. She held a finger up to her partner and went back to the register. 

 

“Good afternoon, gentlemen. What can I get for you?”

 

The two men that stood before her were both wearing suits. They both had short, military regulation hairstyles, and were both athletically built. Not usually her normal customer. 

 

“Are you the owner of this establishment? Maria Reyes?” The one on the left questioned, and she raised her eyebrow. 

 

“I am. Why do you ask?” Luis had stood up, surveying the men intently. It was still L.A. afterall.

 

“We were hoping to inquire you on your whereabouts two weeks ago, on December 26th around 9pm.” This time it was the man on the right.

 

“I don’t think my activities is any business of people I don’t know.” Maria chuckled, hiding her nerves. That was the day The Reaper found his way into her shop. Rather, the day she brought him into her shop. 

 

“Actually, Ms. Reyes, it is our business.” The men reached into their pockets and removed a thick wallet. Opening them up they showed her their badges. 

 

FBI. 

 

“M’am, you need to come with us.” Maria gripped the counter. She could try to run, but what would that get her? She could see the look of hurt and confusion on Luis’ and Antonio’s faces as she relaxed her body. Removing her hands from the counter, she held them up. 

 

“I’ll go with you. Just don’t cuff me in front of my son, please?” The men looked at one another and nodded, signaling for her to move toward them. She wiped her hands on her apron before taking it off and placing it on the rack behind her. Maria began to walk toward the agents before stopping. 

 

“Can I just...get a moment? Please?” She nodded her head toward Antonio. The men hesitated but nodded. She wasn’t much of a risk. She turned toward her son, kneeling down in front of him and placing her hands on his shoulders. 

 

“Can you do me a favor? I’m going to be gone for a little bit. Can you make sure Luis is looked after? You’re the man of the house.” Despite the situation, Antonio nodded and smiled. Maria then stood up and looked at Luis. 

 

“I’ll explain this to you someday. Once things are figured out. Take care of Antonio?” Luis looked like he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. Clenching a fist, he released it. 

 

“You have my word, Maria.” The woman smiled sadly at him, placing her hand on his cheek before walking back toward the agents. 

 

“Thank you. I’m ready to go.”

~~~

They never cuffed her. All they did was lead her into a black SUV with extremely tinted windows. 

 

Before long, she was already confused on where they were heading. She would have looked out the windshield if it wasn’t for a divider between the front and back seats.

 

No one was sitting with her, but she didn’t dare try to escape. It would probably be a hell of a tumble and she knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun the men. So she sat in silence. 

 

Despite her nerves, she found herself drifting to sleep. Right as she was about to close her eyes, the vehicle stopped. 

 

Maria stood up straight, expecting the door to open. And when it didn’t, she was confused. All she could hear was a faint dial tone. 

 

The divider rolled down, revealing the two men from before in addition to an active holovid on the dashboard. It was blank. 

 

“I assume Ms. Reyes is there with you now?” 

 

The holovid came to life, audio waves moving in time with the disembodied voice. The voice was rough, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Where had she heard that voice before?

 

“Yes, sir. She came without trouble.” The driver responded.

 

“Unsurprising. And that admits your guilt...right, Ms. Reyes?” Maria bit her lip. 

 

“What are you charging me with? Who are you? Why am I not in some formal interrogation room?” 

 

“Because if you agree to our proposal, you won’t be arrested.” 

 

The woman paused. What was he talking about? What sort of proposal was he implying?

 

“We want your help capturing Reaper.” 

 

Maria blinked before laughing. She couldn’t help herself. It was ridiculous. 

 

“The government must be desperate to try to get someone like me to help them. I don’t  _ know _ him. Did I help him with an injury without turning him in? Yes. Was that a mistake? Sure. But I don’t know anything else about him.” 

 

“Nevertheless, you’ve been up close and personal with him and lived to live another day. That means something, Ms. Reyes.” The voice hesitated for a moment. “We want you to infiltrate a Talon operation that he will be attending.” 

 

Maria looked incredulously at the holovid. “Infiltrate a...what?! I’m not a trained operative. Sure my husband was in Blackwatch but that doesn’t mean he gave me any training!” If they knew who she was, it was safe to say they knew who her husband was.

“If you don’t cooperate you’ll be inside of a prison cell with no access to your family.” 

 

She paled. The last thing she wanted was for Antonio to lose both of his parents. She weighed her options. Try to get information on an elusive terrorist or lose Antonio? The answer was obvious. With a sigh, she answered.

 

“Where do I start?”


	7. Chapter 7

“I just don’t understand. You’re going to Monaco why?”

 

Maria sighed, packing a bag. What did she even need for a place like Monaco? There were the essentials, of course. But she didn’t even know what the weather would truly be like. A quick search told her it would be mild, but varied.

 

“If I could tell you, I would. Just know that me doing this makes things less complicated.” She threw a sweater on top of the packed items, zipping the duffle closed. She was only supposed to be there for a weekend, so there was only a need for a carry-on.

 

“Less complicated? Everything about this is already complicated! You can’t expect me just to sit back and accept that you were taken by the FBI and now you’re going to Monaco. That’s not how anything in this world works and you know that.”

 

The woman stared back at her lover. “That’s how it’s going to work right now. Take it or leave it.” She couldn’t tell him. It could put him in danger. Put her son in danger. Though, she didn’t expect her words to come out so harsh.

 

Luis stared at her in shock. Shaking his head before sighing. “I’ll take care of Antonio. But if this is going to work out? We need a serious talk when you get back. One where you tell me what’s going on. Especially if..” he held back, holding his hands up. “Just go. You’re on a schedule.”

 

He was right. The woman had to be at the airport to catch an international flight in three hours. And in LA? That might as well be impossible. She sighed, grabbing a personal bag and making sure things like her ID and passport were inside.

 

Maria turned to Luis, about to reach out and hug him. But she stopped herself. It was a tense moment and something told her that embracing the man would only make things worse in this moment.

 

She made her way to her son’s room. Quietly opening the door she peered inside. Antonio was sound asleep. His room was filled with dinosaurs and action figures. He was obsessed with superheroes, and he would tell all his friends that his father was a hero. She, nor the other parents ever brought up the rumors to him.

 

Gabriel was dead, why would it matter to tarnish his reputation to his son?

 

Softly stepping to the boy’s resting frame, Maria grimaced as she stepped on something. Curse those building blocks. Kneeling down next to the bed, she ran her hand through his hair.

 

“Mommy will be back in a couple of days. I promise.” She smiled and kissed the top of his head. He stirred gently but didn’t wake. With one last smile she stood up, being careful to avoid the plastic building blocks on the ground this time.

 

Closing the door quietly, she sighed. She picked up her bags and started to head out the door toward her car.

 

“Hey.”

 

She turned, seeing Luis in the doorway. He was leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. He wasn’t looking at her, but he seemed tense.

 

“Just...come back home, ok?”

 

Maria looked at the man. He had lost his friend when she lost her husband. She didn’t want to put him through anything like that again.

 

“Yeah. I’ll be back before you know it.” She gave a thumbs up to the man before putting her bags in the car. Taking a deep breath, she turned on the ignition and began her drive to the airport.

**~~~**

It turns out, if you want to get anywhere internationally from LA, Red Eye flights are the way to go.

 

Maria had basically no trouble with traffic, no issue with security and customs, and no issues on the flight. Unless you count not being able to sleep as an issue.

 

Arriving at the airport in Nice, she looked all around her. Omnics and humans worked together, with the prior acting as service bots or entertainment. She saw multiple posters referencing an omnic with the name “Luna”.

 

Taking a few more glances she knew she needed to make her way to the pickup area. When she got there, she wasn’t surprised to see the men who had first taken her from Quoth a couple days prior.

 

“Ms. Reyes. We have much  to discuss. Follow - is that all you brought?” The man arched his eyebrow. If she remembered correctly, it was the man who was driving the night she was first told about all of this.

 

“Yes? Is that a problem? I thought I would just be observing something?”

 

The man who didn’t ask the question groaned, pulling out his phone. “Good job, Andrew. Now we need to make some adjustments.” The man, Andrew apparently, rubbed the back of his head.

 

“Not like we can’t handle it. Come on Ms. Reyes. As I said, there’s a lot to go over.” Andrew reached out for her bag, which she graciously handed to him. Any time she could avoid holding something over ten pounds, she would do it.

 

“Please, call me Maria.” The woman smiled at the agent. He was young, but not a rookie. At least, he didn’t seem to be. He nodded, walking her toward a vehicle. The other agent followed, talking quickly in French on his phone. Hanging up he looked to Maria.

 

“Before we go to the mission, we need to get you gear.”

 

“Gear? Just how intense is this?” Andrew opened the back door for her. Now that she was technically working with them, things were a bit more pleasant than they were at Quoth.

 

“You’ll be briefed at 18:00. We’re heading to a supplier now to make sure you look the part.”

 

Maria raised an eyebrow.

 

“The part? What part?”

 

"Come on, Dave. We should just brief her now. She's heading to Maltida's anyway. I'm sure she'll figure it out." Andrew once again took the position of being the driver while "Dave" sat in the passenger seat. Dave, the older of the two, sighed and threw his hands up.

 

"Fine. This whole thing is so wonky on protocol anyway. Maria, you'll be infiltrating a masked gala at an estate in Monaco. Talon is behind the company that's sponsoring the event, so we think The Reaper might be in attendance. We need you to try to find him and report his location to us." 

 

Maria groaned, leaning back in the seat. "Why couldn't one of you just do it? It's a masked event for Christ's sake." Andrew laughed. 

 

"Neither one of us could pass as Penelope Belmont." The woman quickly leaned forward, the seat belt catching on her chest.

 

"Penelope Belmont? The fashion designer? I can't pass as that! And what if she shows up?" 

 

"Taken care of." Dave responded. "She has the flu. Unreported to the press, so you'll be able to take her place. Thank God the woman is too eccentric to do interviews or show her face. Gave us a hell of an advantage." 

 

Maria wasn't sure how she felt about all of this. But she also didn't feel like she had much of a choice. 

 

"I guess it's time to gear up then."


	8. Chapter 8

“This guest list is insane. I would love to make some friends like these.” Sombra laughed as she checked through multiple camera feeds. Everyone from actors to military leaders was in attendance. 

 

“Remember the mission.” Gabriel was on edge. He was used to working behind the scenes in situations like these but he just wanted to get out of there. 

 

“Relajate, I know what I’m doing. Hold on...is that Penelope Belmont? Didn’t our intel say she was sick?” The hacker zoomed in  on a woman in a black dress draped in feathers. The matching mask put together the entire look. Gabriel squinted behind his own mask. As the woman turned on the camera, he saw it. 

 

A light birthmark on the woman’s left arm close to her shoulder. For a man who didn’t feel much anymore, he suddenly felt as if his blood chilled. 

 

Why on earth was Maria here? Something wasn’t right. He began to walk out of the room, grabbing his costume’s matching hat on  the way out. 

 

“I’ll check it out.”

~~~

 

Maria fidgeted with the ear cuff that she wore. It was heavy, and with good reason. 

 

“Testing. One...two...Maria can you hear me?” Andrew’s voice in her ear was faint, but audible. 

 

“I can hear you. I’m heading up the stairs so I’m initiating radio silence for now.” She sighed, continuing her walk. The mask on her face tickled her nose. But it was better than the other options that were available. 

 

It was a Penelope Belmont piece, one straight off the runway. She felt elegant and like a completely different person, which was good in this case. 

 

Attendees came up to her, saying how much they enjoyed her work. She would give a polite nod and walk away. Eccentricities were easy to come up with when everyone knew you were eccentric.

 

As Maria approached the main ballroom, she was amazed at the decorations that had been put in place. The whole place screamed avant guard with a sprinkle of goth. It was honestly her aesthetic. 

 

Couples were dancing to a waltz being played by a live band. She smiled softly, seeing the smiles of the people involved. It was as if they weren’t a part of some nefarious plot at all. But if they knew Talon was funding this, then they were more dangerous than they seemed.

 

She made her way to the bar, requesting just a water to quench her thirst. She leaned against the counter, eyes moving from person to person as if she would be able to figure out who they were.

 

“I didn’t expect to find someone like you here.” 

 

The deep voice startled her. Turning she saw a man in a crimson outfit, face hidden behind a skull mask. He definitely had the most extravagant costume in the crowd.

 

“Assuming you know who I am?” She deepened her voice slightly. A bad cover really, but it was an attempt. She wasn’t even sure why she answered him instead of remaining silent like she had been the entire night. The man bowed before her and she reciprocated in a curtsey of her own. 

 

“I know everyone here. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t.” He stretched out his arm. “May I have this dance?”

 

Maria hesitated. She was supposed to be here observing as Penelope Belmont. Nothing else. But she felt drawn to the man. And maybe some dancing could get her better viewing points? 

 

“I would be honored.” She placed her hand in his. Despite the thick leather of his glove, she felt a spark run up her spine. She hadn’t experienced something like that in a long time. 

 

The masked man led her to the dance floor, keeping a comfortable distance away from her as the song began to start. The beat was easy to follow, especially when he led her. 

 

“You’re stiff.” 

 

Maria flushed under her mask. She hadn’t danced like this in years. It was something incredibly intimate and she didn’t really think she would do something like this again.

 

“Well, dancing with a stranger dressed as the Red Death will do that to a girl.” 

 

The man chuckled, and seamlessly brought her closer to him. There was still a gap between their bodies, but it was becoming noticeably smaller. “Someone dressed to embody a raven should be prepared to face death, don’t you think?” 

 

“Who said I’m not willing to face death?” The words slipped out before she could even think about them. The man paused their dance, the other couples moving around them. He kept her hand in his and brought her in closer so that their bodies were touching. The arm around her waist and the feel of his chest giving her an indication of how strong he was. 

 

The skull-visaged figure leaned down to place his head close to her. If he hadn’t been wearing a mask, she could have probably felt his breath or even his lips against her ear. 

 

“I would be careful about an exclamation like that around here. Especially around people like me.” She swallowed thickly. There was something in the way he said it that made it seem like he was talking about more than just killing her. 

 

The song switched to one she recognized. It was a tune she had danced to in her apartment, then her home, and at her wedding. She tried to remove herself from her partner, but he held onto her tightly. 

 

Despite the mask, she felt him gazing into her, searching for any more resistance. Searching for a reason to get him to stop. And she wanted to give it to him.

 

But something was stopping her. Something was telling her to dance with him. Just one more. Let loose. As the song picked up, he led once again, but the footwork was more complicated. The moves more elongated. The tension thicker. 

 

She followed easily, his movement a perfect match to what she felt comfortable with. It wasn’t a complicated routine, but it more intense than their previous session. Judging by his apparent comfort, it seemed as though he was familiar with the tune as well. 

 

They faced each other. Her eyes meeting those obscured by a mask. With every movement, it was as if the tension between them wound tighter. At moments their faces would be within centimeters of each other, only to have her partner spin and move her away again. 

 

Her leg moved, performing a quick leg wrap. That was something Gabriel had taught her after many clumsy attempts. And she wasn’t sure how the stranger was ready for it, but he had moved his leg to help her balance as if he knew.

 

As soon as she removed her leg, the man spun her out, the same way Gabe used to. He pulled her in the same way Gabe used to. And he dipped her the same way Gabe used to. Punctuating the end of the song perfectly. It was all the same steps she was used to. The exact same routine.

 

There was a round of applause around them. She couldn’t focus. Her mind was hazy and she needed air. Her masked dance partner helped her stand, and she removed herself from his hands, running away without as much of a glance to him. 

 

Attendees parted so that she could rush by. Her breath was heavy, more so from her mind than the dance. She felt like her body was constricting itself. She needed to calm down. She needed to stop. She had no idea where she was going. She ripped the mask from her face and dropped it on the ground, leaving it behind as she ran.

 

Taking a sharp turn, she found an empty balcony of the estate. Opening the doors forcefully, she leaned against the marble of a column. Her breath came out in shaky sobs as she slid down the column, eyes blinded by tears. 

 

When she reached the floor she covered her face with her hands. She could still feel the stranger’s touch in them. She was being irrational. It was just a dance. Gabriel didn’t make one up just for the two of them. She knew that. At least, she thought she knew that.

 

“Maria? What’s your status?”

 

She had forgotten about the microphone inside of her earring. The cuff feeling heavy against her ear once again.

 

“I need to get out of here.” 


	9. Chapter 9

Gabriel stood in place as Maria ran off. The people around him began to whisper and all he wanted to do was wraith out of there and head back to base. But he couldn’t blow his cover and something told him to follow her. 

 

And that’s what he did. 

 

He already pushed things by approaching her. By asking her to dance and then actually dancing. He shouldn’t even be talking to her. He knew his voice had changed but it was a risk he shouldn’t be making.

 

And that dance? Why did he think that was a good idea? She had given him an out at the beginning. She wanted to leave. The tune probably haunting more than anything else now. So why didn’t he let her? He knew why.

 

He craved it. He craved her.

 

It had been years since his last embrace with her. It had been years since he felt like Gabriel Reyes instead of Reaper. As he walked through the halls of the estate, he caught sight of a black object on the ground.

 

It was her mask. He wasn’t surprised that the image used to base her attire on was that of her favorite animal. It’s was obvious more than anything. Especially since Milena wasn’t too fond of birds herself. 

 

“We’ve picked up an outside frequency. Patching you through.” 

 

The voice of a talon operative shook him out of his thoughts. His fingers rubbing the feathers on her mask gently.

 

_ “Maria? What’s your status?”  _

 

Maria? An outside frequency looking for his wife? 

 

_ “I need to get out of here.” _

 

It took a lot to chill Gabriel to the bone. And hearing her voice respond? That chilled him. Not only that...it enraged him. 

 

The former Blackwatch commander clenched his teeth, his grip on the mask tightening. He could hear the crinkle of it straining under his force. 

 

“Track that frequency. Now.” 

 

“Already did it,  _ Gabe _ .” 

 

There was only one person who dared called him that in Talon, and they weren’t speaking in his earpiece. Turning around, he saw Sombra, dressed as a jester. 

 

“Sombra. Where is it?” His voice dripped acid. He needed to figure this out, now. The younger woman shrugged, opening up a holovid display that showed a map. A tiny red light indicated the location of the origin of the signal. It was roughly three blocks away.

 

He started to move away from the hacker, the mask still clutched tightly in his hands. Sombra cleared her throat. “Now isn’t the time, Sombra.” 

 

“Oh it’s important. You might want to listen in to this.” 

~~~

Andrew sighed. His fingers rubbing between his eyebrows. Dave had gone to get some sleep at the hotel so he was on his own. He didn’t want to tell him that the mission failed. But he had to. 

 

Picking up a phone, he dialed the only number in the contact list. After two rings the person at the other end picked up. 

 

“No contact. Mission failed.” Andrew stated the status of the objective as concise as possible. The man at the other end of the phone sighed before speaking. 

 

“You’ve risked a lot to do this for me. Do what you want with Maria per government requests.”

 

The officer wasn’t going to give up. “You don’t understand, sir. This is the time to redeem Overwatch! Recall went out and I know  _ you  _ can’t go back. But if you were to help me with Reyes you would be a hero again.” 

 

“The world doesn’t need me as a hero anymore, Andrew.”

 

“But Jack-” 

 

“No buts. I’m terminating this mission. Obviously Gabe wasn’t going to allow his cover to be blown for his wife. We tried, son. It’s over.” 

 

The phone was silenced. Andrew stayed motionless with it held against his ear. Biting his lip and closing his eyes, all he could feel was anger. And it wasn’t toward Jack Morrison, his boss behind the scenes. Nor was it toward Gabriel Reyes. 

 

Maria was the one who failed the mission. She was the one who was causing this to all happen. His rage was toward her.

~~~

Maria waited in front of the estate with her arms wrapped around herself. It had gotten chillier since she first came to the gala, and the gown wasn’t giving her much warmth. How far away could Andrew have been? She didn’t think the cuff had much range. 

 

A black vehicle pulled up as if on cue. The window rolled down and she could see Andrew inside. Going as quick as she could in her heels, she rushed down the steps and made her way into the car. 

 

The woman sighed, leaning her head back against the seat. “I didn’t see any sign of him, Andrew. I’m sorry.” 

 

The usually more joyful man was clutching the steering wheel. His eyes were focused forward. “What happened to your mask?” The woman placed her hand on her face, forgetting that she had taken it off. 

  
  


“You’re right. We’re not going to the hotel.” 

 

This was bad. Maria could sense it. Looking at the car doors, she saw they were locked and she had no control of unlocking them. Biting her lip she looked all around her. There was nothing in the car that she could use to her advantage. 

 

But she didn’t have to wait long. The agent turned into a dark alley, and the woman felt her heart sink. 

 

Putting the car in park so that it hovered over the ground, he stepped out of the car. Maria watched him cautiously as he pulled a gun from a holster under his jacket. Pointing it at her through the window, he opened the door. 

 

“Out.” With the gun still trained on her, Maria slowly scooted out of the seat, stepping outside of the vehicle. She turned to face the man, arms raised up.


	10. Chapter 10

It wasn’t as red as she thought it should be. 

 

She had seen blood, of course. But nothing like this. The shot from The Reaper’s gun left Andrew practically unrecognizable. She felt her stomach churn, and without much concern she moved her head so she could try not to vomit on the dress. Though she didn’t think it mattered anymore. 

 

Through the ringing in her ear, she could hear The Reaper make a remark to someone about cleaning up, but she wasn’t sure who he was talking to. They were now the only ones in the alley...alive anyway. She had to force herself not to look toward Andrew. It wasn’t some weird fascination but the fact she couldn’t actually believe he was dead. 

 

More specifically that he was dead after kidnapping her and that The Reaper was the one to kill him. The scene up until the shot was replaying in her head. Andrew threatened telling her something. But what could he possibly know about her that was so significant that a member of Talon would care? 

 

She didn’t have much time to dwell on it as a group of high-tech soldiers surrounded the area. That must have been who the man had called. She wiped her mouth and watched as the scene unfolded around her - The Reaper giving orders and the men following. Two soldiers moved the body while the rest worked on cleanup and left the area. Maria thought she heard something about surveying the area to make sure no one heard anything. 

 

The Reaper spoke to one more person before approaching her, kneeling down in front of her. 

 

“We’ve received some intell that the other man that was a part of this operation was flown back to the United States.” 

 

Maria nodded. She remembered Andrew telling her something along those lines. “But when will I get to go back? To see my family?” The man stayed quiet as he stood. He picked up a tablet from a Talon soldier nearby and came back to her. 

 

The press of his fingers was fluid on the device before he handed it to Maria. She grabbed it with shaking hands. 

 

It was a video of her home. Two men stood at the outside of the door. She got chills thinking about it. 

 

It was the same when Gabriel died. Two men at their door. 

 

Luis opened the door for them, and the two men handed him a letter before walking off. Her boyfriend didn’t take long in opening it. After a moment of him reading, he dropped the letter and punched the door frame before heading back inside and slamming the door. 

 

Maria could only look in shock as the video stopped playing. They thought she was dead? The FBI told them she had died? They thought she wasn’t going back? 

 

The adrenaline on learning a government agency betrayed her should have been enough to keep her conscious. But after what happened with Andrew and at the masquerade? She was drained. She was so tired. Her eyes began to flutter closed.

“Maria?” 

 

Her eyes fluttered open and she saw The Reaper before her. Her eyes closed again for a second longer than before.

 

“Maria are you ok?” 

 

This time when she opened them, she saw Gabriel. He looked just the same as he did when he left her to go to Switzerland that fateful day. The woman shook her head. 

 

“I think I’m going crazy.” She chuckled, closing her eyes again. She felt so tired. Even though she felt hands on her shoulders trying to wake her and a voice calling her name and to other people around her, she couldn’t open her eyes. 

 

She was just too exhausted. She needed to sleep. 

 

~~~

Gabriel paced outside of a door. He was in the medical bay in the Parisian Talon HQ and no one was giving him any answers. Nurses would walk in to check in on the patient and walk out without so much of a glance toward him. It was really starting to piss him off. 

 

“I didn’t think it would be possible to wear out LVT flooring but it seems like you might be the first.” The Irish voice of Moira wasn’t a surprise to Gabriel. She was their healer after all. 

 

“No one is telling me anything about Maria.” 

“Because no one knows who Maria is to you, Gabriel. They think that you want to question her when they know what she needs is rest.” 

 

Moira’s comment stung him a bit. Only because it was about Maria. If it was any other person the medical staff would be right in their assumption that he wanted to question the patient. And he wasn’t opposed to having that reputation. 

 

“So is she going to be ok?” The man’s voice was low and cautious. 

 

Moira sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “Yes. From what I’ve heard, anyway. Normal people aren’t where my talents lie with Talon. But Dr. Patel hasn’t shown much concern.” 

 

Gabriel relaxed a fist he didn’t realize he was making. “Good. I’ll find Dr. Patel.” He began to walk away from the ex-Blackwatch medic. 

 

“Gabriel.” He stopped his stroll, turning his head back in acknowledgement of the doctor. 

 

“You do realize if word of this gets out you’ll be heavily scrutinized. The only people who know about your past with Maria are me and our little hacker friend. I don’t even think Amélie knows.” 

 

“What’s your point?” The man just wanted to get a status update. He didn’t want a lecture. 

 

“Be careful. You don’t want to lose this chance. Especially when you have to tell her about her situation with Talon.”


	12. Chapter 12

She felt a tightness in her hand. Her eyes were still closed but she could smell the scents that screamed “medical” vividly. 

 

Her eyes began to slowly open up, feeling as though they had been closed for years. Like she thought, she seemed to be in a hospital bed. The room itself seemed pretty high-tech, but she couldn’t tell whether or not she was back in America, in Monaco, or somewhere else entirely. 

 

There were no windows, and the only light came from the long fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling. Which frankly, were too bright at the moment. Maria groaned, tugging her arm up to try to shield her eyes. Only, she couldn’t. 

 

Looking down, she saw her wrist restrained to the side of the bed. Giving it a few more tugs, she realized how secure it was. Though, her other arm was left free. 

 

Moving her free hand to the restraint she tried looking for the locking mechanism. Shaking fingers felt metal start to dip, and she moved her hand away. Orientating her body so she could look at the lock closer, she swore under her breath. 

 

It was a fingerprint scanner. That must mean she’s trapped by Talon. She bit her lip, looking around the room. She could scream to alert the doctors she was awake. But she wanted an advantage. She wanted to get out. 

 

On the mobile bedside tray next to her, she saw tape. Maria reached for the small roll, happy to see it was the easily torn kind. Placing the tape between her hands, she used the fingers on her restrained hand to pull at the edge of the tape. Once she had pulled enough off, she let the edge go, holding onto the roll with her free hand. 

 

She moved the roll up to her mouth, tearing the piece off with her teeth. Grabbing the small piece of tape, she carefully placed it on the scanner. With a deep breath, she used the top of her fingernail to press into the tape and scanner. 

 

Maria was rewarded with the sound of a click and the restraint opening for her. Pulling her arm away quickly, she rubbed her wrist, speeding up the process of getting quicker blood flow. She had adrenaline coursing through her. Her body was telling her that she could escape. 

 

The woman climbed off the bed, shaking her legs out of their tingles. Looking down at her hand she realized a major problem. She had an IV going. And she wouldn’t be able to move around much without taking it out. 

 

Biting her lip, Maria took a cautious tug on the needle. It was thoroughly secured under tape inside of her vein. But maybe she would be able to take it out without much harm? She had seen it done a thousand times before.

 

The captured woman took a deep breath, beginning to peel the tape off of her hand. 

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 

 

Maria jumped, turning around quickly and backing away from the source of the voice. 

 

“If you’re here...that means I’m captured by you guys.” The man known as The Reaper nodded. 

 

“At least you figure things out quickly. Talon wants to make sure you don’t know too much.” 

 

“Before they release me?” Maria was hopeful. She needed to go back home to her family. Tell them she was alive and would never leave them again. 

 

“Before they decide whether or not to kill you or make you an asset.” His words stung her. Neither of those options involved going home. 

 

“But my son? I need to get back to my son.” She began to fidget with the IV in her hand again. She didn’t flinch when she heard the heavy footsteps approaching her. Nor did she flinch when the man placed his hand over hers, moving it away from the attached needle. 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Though the voice was rough, and for a lack of better words, dark the man sounded sincere. She hadn’t even realized she had started to cry until he said that. She sat back onto the bed, tears flowing from her eyes. 

 

“My son needs to know I’m alive. He needs me. I can’t...I can’t make him an orphan.” Maria looked up at the terrorist in her room. He still wore of his tactical equipment looking as if a fight could start at any moment. 

 

“There’s nothing I can do.” 

 

The woman clenched her fists. She was filled with sadness. Fear. But then that changed. 

 

She was angry. 

“‘There’s nothing you can do?’ You’re the reason I’m in this mess to begin with! If I hadn’t had helped you none of this would have happened! I would be at home with my son!” She was yelling. She could feel her throat beginning to sting in protest. 

 

The man just stood there. A guard quickly entered the room and The Reaper only held up a hand to stop him. 

 

“You’ll either cooperate with what we want to know, or you’ll truly make Antonio an orphan.”

 

His words made her stop. She wanted to yell at him further. Punch him to what she assumed would have been to no avail. But she sat there on the bed, eyes filled with fury despite the tears. 

 

The member of Talon gave a nod, turning around and starting to exit. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake.” And with that, he was gone. 

 

As she watched him walk away she could see that the guard from before stood in front of the window in the door. Maria sighed and laid back on the bed. 

 

But then it hit her. She sat straight up, replaying the last few moments in her head. 

 

She had never said Antonio’s name to The Reaper. Just how much did he know? 

 

**~~~**

Gabriel made his way to Dr. Patel’s office. After alerting him of Maria’s condition, the doctor thanked him and made his way to the captive patient. 

 

The former Blackwatch commander had to get out of here. Not even taking the time to walk, he turned into dark mist to make his way to the training grounds. When the other talon operatives saw him enter, they all left him alone. 

 

A safe choice, really. 

 

He barely waited until they had closed the door to unload everything he had on the training grounds. The sound of his screams were obscured by the sound of bullets and overall destruction. Training dummies were turning into nothing but loose foam as he let out a seemingly endless supply of bullets into the area. 

 

He wasn’t sure how long he kept shooting. But when he was done he dropped to his knees, letting out one final yell of frustration. Gabriel dropped to all fours and for the first time in years he felt tears obscure his vision. 


	13. Chapter 13

Maria had received an all clear from Dr. Patel. Because of that she was transferred to a containment cell that was much less comfortable than the medical room. And a lot more open. 

She could watch everyone that passed her by as she paced in the cell. It was a room with metal bars and bulletproof glass. She was sure she was searched, so that must mean they were worried about someone shooting her. But why was she important?

 

She wanted to get this over with. She wanted to see what Talon had in store for her and if she even had a chance of escaping. As soon as she sat down on the thin cot, she saw a woman approach the door. 

 

Tall. Gorgeous. And blue. The woman was the epitome of elegance. 

 

“Maria Reyes? You are to follow me.” Of course she was French. 

 

Maria stood up, following behind the tall woman. For some reason the pony-tailed agent seemed familiar. But the cafe owner was sure she would recognize someone as gorgeous as her. 

 

Not to mention the fact she was blue. 

 

The older of the two had to practically jog to keep up with the agent. Not only was she not as fit as she used to be - but she also didn’t have the genes for “long legs” in her DNA. She almost ran into the French woman as she stood before a massive door. 

 

As if on cue, the door opened up to a dark room. 

 

“That will be all, Widowmaker.” 

 

Maria had plenty of reasons to shudder. One, the fact that this woman was called “Widowmaker”. Two, the overall dark sense she got from the room. And three, the deep timber of the voice that called from the darkness. Unlike The Reaper, this voice could be described as charismatic. 

 

“Mrs. Reyes, do come in. There is much to discuss.” 

 

**~~~**

Gabriel watched as his wife moved into the room. As soon as she began to hesitate about running into something, the lights blared on. Akande was always one for the dramatics. 

 

Maria flinched as the light hit her eyes, and Gabriel felt a pang of worry. She was already off her game because of the sudden lights how would she react to an audience with the only person more wanted than him? 

 

“Please, Mrs. Reyes. Have a seat.” Akande stood, outstretching his hand toward a seat across from them. They were the only leaders in attendance - thankfully. But the way the current Doomfist said the woman’s name concerned Gabriel. Only referring to her by “Reyes” as if to get a reaction out of him. 

 

Maria sat down where Akande gestured to, and once she sat so did he. Ever the gentleman. 

 

“Now, Mrs. Reyes...I know this is tough. You’re probably very frightened right now and don’t appreciate talking to me or my companion. But we need to properly figure out how big of a threat you are.”

 

The woman raised an eyebrow. Something Gabriel missed for years. It was always the little things that he craved in his time away from her. And even more now that she was within his grasp. 

 

“Threat? I hardly think I’d be a threat to Talon.” She shook her head. “I don’t know where I am. Or even why I’m so special.” 

 

Akande chuckled. Gabriel could see Maria shudder at the rumble. “You are more special than you think, Mrs. Reyes. To people you probably don’t even realize.” Gabriel knew his wife wouldn’t pick up on the hint, but he was very much aware of what Akande was referring to. 

 

The Numbani native stood up, walking around the table. The closer her walked toward Maria, the more on edge Gabriel became. He held back from putting a hand on his gun. 

 

Then Akande put his hand on the woman’s shoulder. His Maria’s shoulder. Gabriel saw red, but kept his composure. If he made a scene now there was no telling what would happen to him. Or more importantly to his better half. 

 

“This will be hard to recall. But there are two things we need to discuss.” The woman nodded slowly in understanding. 

 

“The first is everything you know about your time with the FBI….and the second, being what you know about what happened to your late husband.”

 

Gabriel couldn’t stop the look he gave to his fellow Talon member. This wasn’t what was discussed ahead of time. This was all a part of Akande’s plan. But for what purpose? Gabriel never questioned his ascension to power. If anything, he supported it. So why the need for this?

 

“I’ll start with the second.” 

 

Her words shocked both of the men. She was going to talk about him? Clearly Akande wasn’t thinking she would do that either. 

 

“I know nothing of what happened to my husband to cause his death. It’s classified to me. All I know was that there was an incident in Switzerland and that he died there. That’s it.” 

 

Concise. Direct. Monotone. Rehearsed. Gabriel wondered how many times Maria had to tell that story to make it sound like she did just now. It was if there was no emotion behind it. Or maybe she was just done waiting for him? Done loving him? Gabriel didn’t want to think of that possibility. 

 

“And that is all?” Akande had a stern look on his face as he looked at Maria for any sign of deception. She stared back at him. 

 

“Do you think I didn’t look? That I didn’t want to find more information for our son? Yes. That is all, Mr. Ogundimu.” 

 

Gabriel and Akande looked at each other for a moment before the later laughed loudly. “I suppose that I can’t be too surprised that you know my name. But please, now tell me about your involvement with the FBI?” 

 

“There’s not much to tell. I got caught up in something I shouldn’t have. The FBI made a deal with me. They failed, and now I’m here on the other side.” 

 

The rich-skinned man stared at her. Crossing his arms, he was even more intimidating than before. And that should have been impossible to do in a room with talons for fingers. 

 

“I’m not sure if you actually believe that, m’am. But I certainly don’t. What was your purpose of being in Monaco?” 

 

Gabriel watched as Maria leaned back into her chair. “It was to get information on The Reaper. Not that I discovered anything useful.” The woman turned to look at the him. He just stared back at, his mask making him emotionless. 

 

“But you did discover something?” 

 

Gabriel should have known this would happen. Akande was as perceptive as he was strong. Had she discovered something? What would she even say? Would she mention the dance? God that dance. It was the closest he had been to her in years and he had mental battles constantly wondering if it was worth the risk. 

 

The wraith also wondered if she had caught onto Andrew’s insinuation. He was sure that she did. She wasn’t an idiot. 

 

“Only that he likes to wear red instead of black sometimes.” 

 

**~~~**

“Mr. Ogundimu, you didn’t have to personally walk me back. I’m sure you’re a busy man.” 

 

Maria was shocked when the man offered to take her to her new quarters. She was relieved to hear that she wouldn’t have to be in an actual cell anymore, even if this room still would technically be one.

 

“This it of the top priority at the moment, Mrs. Reyes. You don’t need to fret about that. Plus, I know this base better than most.” The Numbianian smiled down at her and the woman blushed despite herself. He was charming and she was human. 

 

“You see? We’re already here. Thanks to shortcuts not too many regular agents know.” He keyed in a pin on the pad next to the door, and when it slid open she saw an arrangement that was probably typical in every bedroom. Well, except for those who had an important place here. 

 

Maria could also sing when she noticed the bed. Thicker than the one in the medical room. She was about to enter, leaving the man in the hallway. But she stopped. Something was still bugging her about her recent one on one encounter with The Reaper.

 

“Mr. Ogundimu...I do have one question.” The man nodded and gave a grumble in approval. 

 

“Do you...happen to know my son’s name?” 

 

The Talon leader raised an eyebrow. “I know of your history through old Overwatch and Blackwatch files - and what could be found on social media. But you keep your son hidden and his name was redacted from the files. So no, I don’t. Why do you ask?” 

 

A chill ran up Maria’s spine. How did the cloaked man know then? She hesitated with a response and she was sure the man noticed.

 

“No reason. I just wanted to know if I continued to keep up my late husband’s request on keeping Antonio away from prying eyes.” 


	14. Chapter 14

Things had been relatively quiet for Maria at the base. And it was driving her nuts. She wasn’t used to sitting around and doing nothing for hours on end. And the fact it allowed her plenty of time to think about the family she left behind was starting to take its toll. 

 

The food that was given to went from tasting decent to tasting like nothing. When she was allowed out to shower and to use the restroom she only did that - no longer spending extra time under the stream just to be out of the room. 

 

It was as if she had given up. Even the hairbrush that was given to her laid abandoned on her nightstand. Her hair was full of tangles and it honestly probably smelled a bit. 

There were a few times where she walked past The Reaper. He would look her way but she could never tell what he was thinking. For some reason, whenever she saw him those were the only times she felt self conscious of her appearance.  And it wasn’t so much that she felt unattractive. 

 

She felt weak. And in front of the masked man, she wanted to appear as anything but weak. Especially when she thought back to him knowing her son’s name. 

 

She had met a few other members of Talon. A woman named Moira checked her status a couple of times in the beginning but seemed disinterested. Another woman named Sombra appeared to be a hacker and she tried to get information from Maria. 

 

Thinking about it, this “Sombra” might have been the reason The Reaper knew about her son. It was easily explainable, right? 

 

Who was Maria kidding. Something in her gut told her there was something deeper than that going on.

 

A knock on the door knocked her out of her thoughts. A knock meant a visitor - food would always just be brought in without much announcement. 

 

She didn’t get a chance to respond before the man she had just been thinking about walked in. Maria got up from her bed quickly, standing before him. 

 

Those who had seen The Reaper usually don’t live. And those who do only saw him from afar. But if they were to see him up close? They would see just how much more intimidating he was. It’s not just the mask or the abilities. It’s the sheer mass of him and the aura of rage he had. 

 

Like one small thing could make him snap.

 

“Get ready.” 

 

Maria tilted her head at the man. He only moved to the dresser that was filled with the basic clothing Talon supplied her with. She wanted to protest as he went through drawer after drawer, including the one that had unmentionables. 

 

“Follow me. We need to get you fitted.” The Reaper already began to walk away, and the woman took a few seconds before reacting. Quickly slipping on the pair of canvas shoes she had worn every day since being captures, she followed after him. 

 

“Where are we going? Fitted for what exactly?” 

 

The man stopped quickly and she nearly bumped into him. He turned around and peered down at her. She felt the hair on the back of her head raise and a shiver go down her spine. She didn’t need to see his eyes for that to happen. 

 

“You’ve been ordered to start training. You’ll be fitted with some proper gear and meet your instructor within the hour.” The Reaper nodded to a door to his right labeled with “Uniforms”. 

 

Maria looked back and forth between the door and the terrorist. “Do I just...go in there?” The man nodded and she took a deep breath. Trying on clothing wasn’t necessarily what she wanted to do - or train for that matter. Whatever that meant. But she also didn’t want to suffer the consequences. 

 

She walked into the room with heavy steps. A woman in a lab coat quickly stood up from her desk, taking her measurements. As she said the number of centimeters out loud, Maria bit her lip. She had lost weight but it wasn’t planned. And she was fearful that she looked gaunt. 

 

Then again, even if she had been the same size she was when first taken she would have felt self conscious. That’s just the way her brain worked. The Talon worker waved her over to a room before handing off a bundle of clothing. It seemed like ordinary workout gear. 

 

After closing the door to the fitting room, Maria took a breath as she slid out of her usual sweatpants and top. Sliding on the new clothing felt nice. The leggings were tight but comfortable. And the top was a breathable undershirt. The bundle included a hooded jacket which she put on. 

 

All in all, she felt comfortable. As if she wasn’t a prisoner of some terrorist organization. And she knew that was dangerous. She needed to realize this was all a part of some plan that she didn’t know the endgame for. 

 

Walking out of the fitting room, the woman who helped her nodded before handing her a backpack. Maria didn’t bother checking what was inside. She was sure she had kept her escort waiting long enough. 

 

As the door slid open, she could feel The Reaper’s eyes on her even more intensely than before. But somehow it felt...different. She could feel some heat rush to her cheeks, and she mentally chastised herself. Not only was she a middle-aged woman, but this man was a killer. Curse uncontrollable reactions from her body. 

 

“Y-You said I have to meet my trainer, right?” The man looked at her for a few beats longer before nodding, turning away from her and moving forward. Maria followed dutifully. 

 

After what felt like she had traversed the entire base, The Reaper brought her to a set of double doors that slide open. On the inside was a large setup with mats, training equipment, and anything any gym would need. There was even a track the encircled the area. 

 

The thing the unnerved Maria was the fact they were the only two in the space. Surely there had to be other agents who needed to workout. Or maybe this was just one of multiple training facilities? 

 

“We’ll first do a series a tests that will give me a base of knowing what I’m working with. We’ll go from there.” 

 

Maria turned slowly toward her escort. He was peering down at her, and for a moment the world around her stopped. The way he was talking was as if..

 

“You’re training me.” She meant for it to come out as more of a question. But The Reaper nodded regardless. 

 

“I am. And we’ll start by timing your mile.”

 

This was how she was going to die.


	15. Chapter 15

Maria was out of breath as she laid down on the floor. Her skin was flushed and sweaty. She didn’t even want to think about what her hair looked like. 

 

It had been years since the woman had worked out so hard. And this was just a test to see where she stood! And she was sure it wasn’t that great. 

 

“I’m trusting you to stay here.” 

 

She nodded at the statement from The Reaper. Even if she believed there was a slight possibility of escaping the base, she didn’t know the layout. And she was too out of breath to do anything. Her eyes remained closed as she heard the man’s footsteps walk away toward another area. Maybe she could rest for a moment…

 

_ “Maria? It’s time to wake up.” Gabriel’s voice played in her mind as a gentle hand shook her by the shoulder.  _

 

_ “Five more minutes...please?” The woman groaned, wanting to enjoy the sweet comfort of her bed for longer.  _

 

_ Gabriel chuckled, planting a soft kiss on Maria’s forehead. “You said that ten minutes ago. Come on, we have work to do.”  _

 

“We have work to do.” 

 

A soft shake of her shoulder released Maria from her dream. Eyes opening slowly, she was surprised to see the mask of The Reaper so close. With a gasp, she bolted up, the man avoiding her forehead from colliding into his face. It probably would have hurt her more than him. 

 

“How long was I out?” She looked up at the man, and he just raised his shoulders in a shrug. It was just now that she realized the typically cloaked terrorist had changed. 

 

He still remained completely covered. But instead of heavy armor and weaponry, he changed to something that would suit an exercise setting. Instead of a hood covering his head, it was just some black fabric that was flush to the skin. Though the mask still remained. 

 

With a groan, Maria stood up and The Reaper followed. His dark olive hoodie looked extremely comfortable, and she had wished that the clothing available to her would have been as loose fitting as his appeared to be. 

 

He appeared to be staring at her intently. She felt like he was focusing quite hard on her face. If she had learned anything since being here, it was how to realize when The Reaper was looking at her.

 

The Talon member moved close to her, and she stood her ground despite her fear and confusion. Why was this happening? And why was she letting this happen? Was it a test of some sort?

 

As he drew his hand to her face, she felt a chill run down her spine. He hesitated for a moment, fingers close to her cheek. After a few seconds that felt like minutes, he took his hand away, as if he finally realized what he was doing. He turned away, clenching his fist.

 

“You were crying.” He  walked toward the center of the ring on the mat. Maria placed a hand on her cheek, feeling the dampness of a tear. She quickly wiped her eyes. It must have happened when she was asleep. 

 

Taking a breath, she walked toward the man. She had a feeling she knew what this was going to be about, and she wasn’t too thrilled about the idea. 

 

“So…”

 

“We need to know where you stand on combat capabilities. It’s not just about firing a gun. You need to know how to protect yourself even when disarmed.” The man turned toward her and Maria swallowed nervously. Was he always that much taller than her?

“And since I’m the one with the most combat training, I’ve been elected as your trainer. We know what skillsets you may and may not have. And those skill sets align with mine more than any other on base.” 

 

Well that explained why he was the one training her. She thought back to the other people she remembered. The current Doomfist was probably too busy for something like this. The woman known as “Widowmaker” didn’t seem like a hand-to-hand type. Though, Maria didn’t want to test that theory out. Moira was a doctor - and she was sure that The Reaper knew first hand she wasn’t the greatest at medicine. And Sombra? Maria didn’t have the agility that that woman probably had. 

 

So the only one left that they probably trusted her with was the man before her. And it helped that he was so intimidating that to try to escape from him or go against his word was probably a suicide mission. 

 

“What exactly will we be doing?” Maria raised her eyebrow. They couldn’t possibly think-

 

“We spar.” 

 

The woman looked at the man questionably. She couldn’t help the laugh that came out, bending over and resting her hands on her knees as she cackled. This WAS crazy. There was no way they expected this as training. 

 

“I didn’t take you as a kidder. That’s a good one!” The woman stood up straight, looking to where the man was. 

 

Well, she would have been looking toward him if it wasn’t for the fact he was gone. She began looking all about the room. She backed up slowly until she hit something solid. And she didn’t think she was that close to the wall. 

 

With a yelp she was pushed forward, The Reaper bringing her right arm behind her back and pinning her to the ground. The impact felt like it shook her lungs and she wondered if this was how bruised ribs felt like. She felt the man’s thighs wrapped on either side of her, locking her in place. She struggled under him, trying to shift her weight around to no avail. 

 

“First rule: Never let your guard down during a fight.” 

 

Maria gritted her teeth. “I didn’t know the fight had started.”

 

“There’s always a fight. Remember that.” The man took himself off of her, and the woman let out a breath of relief she didn’t know she was holding. Her chest already ached and she was barely a minute into the spar. 

 

Stretching her newly released arm out, she used her arms to push her body off the ground, standing once again. She turned to face her new mentor, somewhat surprised to see he didn’t disappear again. 

 

“Fine. Let’s keep going.”


	16. Chapter 16

She shouldn’t have kept going.

 

Her body was battered and bruised, and she never felt so exhausted before in her life. She could barely stand after the way she was “trained” by The Reaper. 

 

Multiple pins. Multiple slams to the wall and ground. But luckily there were no punches. No kicks. She felt like she would have ended up in the medical ward with just one of those. 

 

Maria leaned against the wall, her new trainer in front of her. She was breathing deeply and she was fearful of what taking off this clothing would reveal later. 

 

“That’s it for today. I let you push yourself too hard.” The woman lifted her head, glaring up at the man.

 

“Then why did you let me push myself?” She swore she heard the man chuckle. 

 

“Sparring isn’t just about physical endurance. It’s about mental endurance as well. I was testing you on your fortitude and you exceeded expectations. Now, go to the showers here.” He nodded toward the room he had entered before. She assumed it was the lockers area. 

 

“I don’t have a change of clothes.” The Reaper pointed toward the backpack. She had forgotten all about it. 

 

“There should be stuff in there.” 

 

Maria nodded, hissing as she took her weight off the wall. She made slow steps toward the backpack. Lifting it, a small groan escaped her lips. Was it always this heavy? She made her slow walk to the room the man had pointed out earlier, and she could feel his eyes on her as she moved.

**~~~**

Gabriel was in turmoil. 

 

He felt horrible with the way he was treating Maria. There was no doubt about that. But he couldn’t show her special treatment. That would raise flags even with people who didn’t know who she was to him. 

 

But as she practically limped toward the locker room, he couldn’t help himself. This was his wife and she was in pain. 

 

“Maria.” She stopped, turning to look at him. 

 

“I’ll be here.” The woman looked at him confused for a moment before giving him a soft smile and a slight nod. She then headed back toward the locker room. 

 

Gabriel felt his resolve wavering. That smile. He missed her smile. And seeing it right in front of him was almost too much. But it wasn’t her true smile. He knew what she was feeling in a place like this.

 

He had noticed her frame slimming down. Her waves and curls becoming matted with a lack of being taken care of. It hurt him to see her like this. He wanted to be able to just hold her and tell her everything was going to be ok. But he couldn’t. 

 

He wanted to massage the pain away. Take the time to wash her in the shower so she didn’t have to move if she didn’t want to. Do the things he used to do to her when he was with her. 

 

But Gabriel wasn’t even alive to her. And he didn’t know how she would react if he told her that he was in fact, alive. That the man she loved turned into a man she never would love.

 

He wasn’t even in control of his body as he walked toward the showers. What was he even doing? Was he trying to make sure she was ok or was he thinking of something more nefarious? 

 

He could hear the shower against the tile. But that’s not what concerned him. 

 

He heard her groaning. 

 

“Maria!” He ran toward the stall that had the shower turned on. His hand was on the curtain before he heard her.

 

“Stop! What are you doing in here!?” Her voice was pained, but he could hear a hint of embarrassment. 

 

“I…” he cleared his throat. “I was worried that you were unconscious. It’s been awhile since you came in.” 

 

“Maybe because my muscles are so sore I can barely move. And no, that doesn’t mean I need help.” 

 

Judging by her silhouette, Maria was sitting on the ground. “How did you even hear me anyway?” 

 

Gabriel felt trapped. “It’s complicated.” 

 

He could hear the woman’s sigh. Her shadowed form began to lift up from the floor, but with a groan she sat back down. 

 

“Ok. Don’t let me go that far ever again. I can barely move.” Though he couldn’t see the details of her body,Gabriel could see for a fact that yes, she had become more slight. And she seemed more frail. He went too hard on her. He should have given her special treatment. He should have-

 

“Reaper!” Her voice calling out to him shook him out of his thoughts. 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“Can you get my towel and either toss it over the curtain or place it next to the stall...I do need help.” 

 

Gabriel swallowed thickly. Turning his head, he saw the towel on the bench close to the stalls. After retrieving it, he walked back, holding it up through the gap of the curtain and the wall of the shower. 

 

“The floor is wet.” He heard a soft “Oh.” in response, as he watched her slide out of the way of the stream of the shower. Her hand touched the towel, and he let go. 

 

He could hear the slight shuffle as she wrapped the towel around herself. And soon, she slid open the curtain. His heart dropped when he saw her. 

 

Bruises were already formed on her arms, chest, shoulders, and legs. He was sure there were more on her back. And her eyes looked so weak. 

 

“I may need help...getting up.” Maria turned her head to the side, her flushed face from the heat of the shower reddening in embarrassment. 

 

Gabriel only nodded, grabbing a spot on her arms that weren’t bruised to help lift her. She winced as she was raised up, and she held onto the man’s jacket for a few moments to stable herself. 

 

When the woman let go of him, he felt empty inside. More empty than usual. “Thank you, Reaper. I should be able to handle it from here.” She smiled and pointed toward the backpack. He only grunted out an affirmative and walked out of the locker room. 

 

He was losing his cool. He needed to control it again. Everything was telling him to go back in there and ravage her. Reveal who he was. Take her back as his wife. 

 

But he couldn’t. And he needed help. 


	17. Chapter 17

It had been two weeks since Maria’s training session with The Reaper. He had checked up on her the next day, but she hadn’t seen him since then. Because of that, all training had stopped. 

She somehow was missing it, despite all the pain it caused. She still had same faint remnants of bruising on her skin. But the fact was she was feeling it. 

 

And feeling the burn of the training ignited something in her. She began eating more of her dinner and actually brushing her hair whenever it was too tangled. She had already noticed the change in her malnourished body. She was looking more alive. More present. 

 

As it was time for her lunch to be delivered, she was surprised to see the door open. That was a twist. And an even bigger surprise to see a certain someone on the other side. 

 

“Mrs. Reyes, how would you like to join me for dinner?” It was Akande. 

 

The woman was surprised to say the least. She could only nod in response. 

 

“Excellent. We’ll be joined by other members, if you don’t mind?” Maria smiled softly. 

 

“I don’t mind. Especially if it isn’t the same thing I’ve been having since I’ve been here.” Akande laughed, holding an arm out for the widow. She graciously accepted it - not wanting to seem impolite. 

 

Akande led them down multiple hallways before they arrived at a door all by itself. The man didn’t even have to knock before a familiar purple-haired hacker opened it. 

 

“Let me guess, you’re here for the thing you had me pick up?” 

 

Akande smiled. “Insightful as always. I trust you had no issue with getting it.” Sombra scoffed.

 

“Of course not. I had your credit card after all.” She reached from somewhere out of Maria’s view, retrieving a bag and handing it to the dark-skinned man. 

 

“Thank you, Sombra. And I’ll be sure to change my credit card number.” The hacker pouted before waving the two of them off. Akande than began leading his guest back toward her room. 

 

“I hope you don’t mind changing into this. I’m afraid the regulation sweatpants aren’t accepted where we are going.” He handed the bag off to Maria, and she could only look at him in shock.

 

“Is this some sort of test?” He only shook his head. 

 

“I’ll be back in twenty minutes. That should give you plenty of time.” He walked away, heading toward what the woman presumed would be to his room to get ready. 

 

With Doomfist gone, Maria headed inside her room to do as he requested. She was shocked to find inside of the bag an elegant jumpsuit. She was thankful for it not being a dress. And she was relieved to see the included footwear was a respectable heel height. There were also some accessories that helped distract from the bruises that were still visible. 

 

A knock on the door signaled that he twenty minutes were up. But when she opened it, she was shocked to see an omnic of the other side. Maria wasn’t even aware that omnics and Talon were working together. 

 

“Ah. You must be Mrs. Reyes. My name is Maximilien. Akande sends his regards, but he had some business to attend to. I’ll be accompanying you instead.” The woman raised her eyebrow. 

 

The omnic was definitely elegant enough. She nodded and walked with him. Talon guards let the two of them past, so it seemed that he was in fact a part of the organization. Or at least working with them. 

 

“You have a very interesting past, Mrs. Reyes. I’d love to learn more about it.” The woman gritted her teeth. So he was one of those?

 

“I’m sure you’re asking about my husband. I’m afraid there isn’t much I can tell outside of how my home life with him was.” The omnic chuckled. 

 

“Oh no, that’s not what I mean. It’s more about how you managed to make a coffee shop successful in Los Angeles.” Maria laughed. 

 

“I guess I’m just good at making coffee.” The omnic scratched his chin.

 

“Interesting. Everything should have been against you but you managed to thrive…” It almost seemed he wanted to say something else, but he shook his head. 

 

The woman and her omnic escort continued to walk through an area that she had never been in. It almost seemed like she was being led out somewhere. 

 

Her assumption was right, as Maximilien led her to a garage. Dozens of vehicles were in the garage - of all styles and expense. And the omnic led the woman to the most distinguished looking one. 

 

Maria nodded in thanks as the accountant opened the door for her. She wasn’t surprised to see other cars turn on around them, creating a blockade. But soon enough, they were off. 

 

“What? You didn’t think Akande would have spent money on that for some lowly dinner meeting, did you?”

 

“I suppose not.” Maria muttered. The two of them sat next to each other in the back. She stayed as close to her door as possible as the omnic crossed one leg over the other, rolling a coin over his fingers.

 

“My father used to be able to do that. He never taught me how though.” The omnic gave her a sideways glance. 

 

“It’s a bit unfair as an omnic - practically all of us can do it. Though it’s impressive that a human could. I’m sorry he didn’t get a chance to teach you before his death.” 

 

“How did you - wait. You have unlimited resources.” Maximilien chuckled with a nod. 

 

“Every piece of information has a price that can take it from even the most stubborn of people. You would be impressed how little it takes to make people talk.” The omnic adjusted his tie. 

 

“But never mind, that. We have reached our destination.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S ALIIIIIIVE

As Maria peered out the car window, she realized why she was dressed to the nines. 

 

The place was swanky. And everyone was wearing either the latest in couture fashions or classically elegant staples. And it wasn’t the cheap knock off brands. 

 

As the vehicle stopped, her door was opened by a polite looking omnic. She smiled softly at the robot, moving out of the vehicle and dusting herself off. 

 

Maximillien soon stood beside her, offering an arm to the woman. She took it - due to equal parts of wanting to play a part and not wanting to fall in the heels she wore. 

 

As they made their way through the building, people would gesture to the omnic, and he would nod. They more than likely didn’t suspect that she was actually a hostage. But with the rich and famous, you never knew. Maybe she wasn’t the only one being held against her will in this place.

 

Maximillien lead her to a door in the back of the restaurant. After a complicated knock, the door opened and the two of them walked inside. Maria was shocked to see a large table with other people sitting at it. She wasn’t under the impression that this would be a group dinner. 

 

“Good evening everyone. This is Maria Reyes. The woman you’ve been informed of.” There were a few nods in greeting, but other than that, no words were spoken. An omnic server pulled a chair out for her, she took a seat, grateful to be off her feet. 

 

“Well, now that everyone is here…” Maximillien adjust his tie after he sat down. “I think it’s best we discuss what is right for Talon.” 

Maria raised her eyebrow. Why would she be in a discussion like this? She wasn’t a part of Talon. Or maybe she was at this point. She wasn’t sure of much anymore. 

 

“The Reaper is becoming too unstable. She is proof of that.” A man in an expensive suit pointed at her. 

 

“So? He captured a hostage. Let the man live a little. She probably has some dirt knowing that her husband is the famed Gabriel Reyes.” A younger man smirked as he downed a glass of wine. At the mention of Gabriel, the woman felt a chill go up her spine. 

 

Maximillien sighed, rubbing his forehead. “You know nothing of the situation. This is more serious than we would like to admit. Which is why you’re here, Mrs. Reyes.” 

 

Maria looked around at the powerful figures before her. “What reason is that?” 

 

The man who pointed at her earlier rolled his eyes. “You’re going to spy on The Reaper. Why do you think he’s been assigned to be around you so much?” 

 

The woman looked at him before turning toward Maximillien. The omnic nodded, red eyes staring intently at her. 

 

“Why should I believe you all? You took me away from my family.” 

 

“Because Overwatch lied to you.”

 

Maria stared at the omnic in shock. “You were designed to lie.” Maximilien laughed loudly, the mechanical whirs and tones creating a sense of unease deep down in her mind. 

 

“I was designed to handle money. I have no sense in lying to you. Especially in someone who can serve Talon.” The woman raised her eyebrow, looking at the round table. 

 

“That doesn’t mean I should trust you.” She still wasn’t convinced. 

 

“But that doesn’t mean you should trust anyone that isn’t us either.” came a reply from the young man from before. 

 

It could be seen as a valid point. An organization she had trusted all of her life tried to kill her. And Maximillien planted a seed of doubt in her mind about Overwatch. Despite being a government organization, she never received anything official about Gabriel’s death. It was strictly verbal.

 

All of the worry made her head spin. She gripped the cup of water, but before she placed it to her lips it slipped out of her shaking hands. The glass shattered as it hit the floor, and within five seconds an omnic came in to clean it up. 

 

Maria stood up, and muttered something about using the bathroom. The omnic replied happily and she made her way out. 

 

“Don’t even think about escaping.” When she turned to look back, Maximillien held a glass up in his hand - despite him not needing to drink. She nodded swiftly before heading back out of the room.

 

As Maria walked to the restroom, she wasn’t paying attention and she accidentally bumped into a man. He was solid, and she was glad that he wasn’t a server carrying a tray of food. 

 

“Pardonne-moi.” She had enough basic French knowledge to know how to excuse herself. 

 

“No problem.” Maria froze in her steps.

 

The voice wasn’t French. Or European for that matter. 

 

It was Southern. And familiar. Turning back she saw the back of man. Longer brown hair, broad shoulders, tight fitting suit. And as her gaze went down, she saw what confirmed the man was in fact someone from her past.   

 

Spurs. 


End file.
